Hundreds of senior school management posts vacant [IrishTimes]
- Published: 28 December 2010
HUNDREDS OF senior management posts in primary schools remain vacant – months after the Department of Education promised to fill them “within weeks’’.
Last night, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) warned of schools “descending into chaos” unless the department moves to ease the embargo on promotions.
In July, the Government announced a limited alleviation for larger primary schools worst affected by the embargo on appointing assistant principals in schools. Over 120 primary schools applied for this alleviation by mid-September. Subsequently, Minister for Education Mary Coughlan told the Dáil that schools could expect to hear of developments “within weeks”.
But the INTO said the response from the department to schools has been “deafening”. “So far schools have heard nothing back from the department,” said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.
An INTO survey of 220 large schools shows more than half have applied to the department for posts to be given back. Already in these schools one in four assistant principal posts has been lost due to retirements, transfer and promotion to principal or deputy principal. A significant number of special duties posts have also been lost.
The survey also predicts a further substantial loss of assistant principal posts – if the moratorium remains in place.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
